God, Santa, and The Tooth Fairy

[Abaddon_ire]

Well, just think about it...

There is some supernatural guy who has you under surveillance 24/7.
He is everywhere at once.
He knows if you been good or bad.
He dishes out rewards or punishments on the basis of his judgement of your actions.

Is that god or santa? Seems the same to me.

Yet, religious folks will flare up at the mere suggestion of a comparison. Somehow, the religious have decided that god is different and the "rules" do not apply.

Blatant special pleading.

[Neo-Scholastic]

Blatant category error.

[The Architect Of Fate]

Blatant category error.

Nope factual statement you simply don't like because it exposes the silliness of your beliefs  

[brewer]

Blatant category error.

Special categories often end up viewed as errors.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

My parents were really devious.

When I was maybe 5 or 6, my mother explained that mummy and daddy had to pay for the presents father Xmas delivered.

That was to stopping from asking Father Xmas in the city for things mum and dad couldn't afford and then be disappointed. We were really spoiled outrageously. We each received main gift. Around 1955 I got my own radio. We didn't have stockings, we had pillow slips. On Xmas night, after lunch we'd go to see my grandfather and my two aunts, and get another pile of presents.

I don't think that hurt us. It's my belief that a child cannot be harmed by loving it too much. I felt truly loved until I was 8. ***

We always left Father Xmas a long neck bottle of beer and a piece of fruit cake. Never occurred to leave a carrot for the reindeer.

*** Imo the most important things in life (once you have what is needed to survive) are to love and to feel loved, for who can truly know the heart of another?

[Neo-Scholastic]

Blatant category error.

Nope factual statement you simply don't like because it exposes the silliness of your beliefs  

Not at all. I fully explained my position and Belequa also contribited greatly. No statements subsequent to those undermined our position. Try again. Maybe without the unthinking denials.

[The Architect Of Fate]

Not at all. I fully explained my position and Belequa also contribited greatly. No statements subsequent to those undermined our position. Try again. Maybe without the unthinking denials.

You spewed a bunch of tripe and Bel backed your tripe it, however,  tripe remains tripe and it undermines itself as such. Try again. Maybe without the unthinking denials.

[brewer]

They get to believe what they want to believe, I just won't validate it and validation is what I think they are seeking.

Why validation from atheists would mean anything is beyond me.

[DLJ]

I can understand a conception of god that inherently disqualifies god from the category of ‘magical, imaginary things,’ i.e. the tooth fairy, Santa Clause, etc. (thank you @Neo-Scholastic for harping on the subject often enough that it finally tickled my thinker), and I’m happy to be charitable toward any argument that attempts to make such a distinction.
...

The distinction is actually quite simple.

Santa and the Tooth Fairy are childhood disinformation. They are useful in that we learn that even those close to us can deliberately lie to us.

Gods and goddesses are childhood misinformation. They are useful in that we learn that even those close to us can be lying to us without realising it.

It took me a very long time (I think I was around 10 years old) to come to the decision that people did genuinely believe in this kinda stuff. I'm still often astounded at the depths of the self-deception in some I meet but I understand it better now.

Self-deception is an evolved survival technique for bonding / in-grouping.
"Of course she loves me"
"Of course the Russians got Trump elected"
"Of course the resurrection happened"
etc.

[arewethereyet]

I can understand a conception of god that inherently disqualifies god from the category of ‘magical, imaginary things,’ i.e. the tooth fairy, Santa Clause, etc. (thank you @Neo-Scholastic for harping on the subject often enough that it finally tickled my thinker), and I’m happy to be charitable toward any argument that attempts to make such a distinction.
...

The distinction is actually quite simple.

Santa and the Tooth Fairy are childhood disinformation.  They are useful in that we learn that even those close to us can deliberately lie to us.

Gods and goddesses are childhood misinformation.  They are useful in that we learn that even those close to us can be lying to us without realising it.

It took me a very long time (I think I was around 10 years old) to come to the decision that people did genuinely believe in this kinda stuff.  I'm still often astounded at the depths of the self-deception in some I meet but I understand it better now.  

Self-deception is an evolved survival technique for bonding / in-grouping.
"Of course she loves me"
"Of course the Russians got Trump elected"
"Of course the resurrection happened"
etc.

Thank you DLJ, that makes sense and is a 'keep it simple stupid' explanation that I can latch onto.

btw - this is anjele from TTA.

Hope you are well.